Alabama hit the practice field on a sunny afternoon in Tuscaloosa Wednesday as the team prepared for its second scrimmage of the spring, which will be held Saturday.

Coach Nick Saban said he was pleased with the effort the players have shown in spring practice.

“The players are working hard,” Saban said. “I think at this point in spring practice what you look for is guys that can push through and sustain.”

(See also “Sunseri, Kouandjio, Steen shine on Pro Day“)

Saban said he and his coaching staff are looking for players who can step up and fight through the difficulty of the season.

“This is the time in spring practice when you really look at the guys that, do they have the maturity to do that? Can they do that?” Saban said. “Alabama football’s supposed to be a tough, physical team that nobody really likes to play against. That’s been our identity. We’ve lost that identity a little bit, I think, the way we finished the year last year. That’s something that we’ve got to get back, and it’s hard, and you really can’t make it easy.”

The players have seemed to absorb Saban’s idea of developing mental toughness.

“Of course it’s tough; it’s gotta be tough. It can’t be easy, you know what I’m saying,” senior defensive lineman Brandon Ivory said. “That’s what coaches are here to do. They’re trying to throw a lot at us, to see what we can do, if we can handle it.”

(See also “Wide receiver Cameron Sims impresses in first scrimmage“)

Tosh Lupoi hired as intern:

Former Washington assistant coach Tosh Lupoi, who allegedly paid $4,500 for a recruit’s tutoring through a high school track coach, has joined Alabama’s staff. Saban was adamant about the role Lupoi would serve in Tuscaloosa.

“The guy’s an intern,” Saban said. “He’s going to be an intern, and he’s got a lot of good experience both coaching and recruiting.”

Known nationally as a top-notch recruiter, Lupoi has been brought in to help out with the “electronic media part of recruiting.”

After a six-week NCAA investigation that resulted in no wrongdoing or charges against Lupoi, Washington paid Lupoi a $300,000 mutual separation buyout.

Other notes from practice:

– The defensive line appeared to be taking shape, as Jarran Reed, Brandon Ivory and A’Shawn Robinson worked with what seemed to be the first group. Behind them were Dalvin Tomlinson, Dakota Ball and D.J. Pettway. Reed and Pettway joined the Crimson Tide as early enrollees in January.

– Brandon Greene appeared to be working at left tackle with the first group of offensive linemen at Wednesday’s practice. Leon Brown, who had spent time at left tackle, was at right guard. Austin Shepherd worked at right tackle, while Arie Kouandjio and Ryan Kelly practiced at their usual positions of left guard and center, respectively.

Sophomore running back Altee Tenpenny was at practice, despite having to travel back to his hometown of North Little Rock, Ark., for a court appearance. Tenpenny was arrested over spring break for possession of marijuana.

(See also “Altee Tenpenny arrested on marijuana possession“)